Lake Forest College1, Biology, Chicago, IL 60045 Northwestern University Fienberg School of Medicine2, Endocrinology, Chicago, IL 60611
Cell Biology
IODINE STATUS IN INDIVIDUALS FROM A RURAL AND URBAN AREA IN BOLIVIA, Lavinia Sinitean1, Douglas Light*1, and Peter Kopp2. Lake Forest College1, Department of Biology, Lake Forest Il 60045, Northwestern University2, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Chicago, Il 60611, light@lakeforest.edu
Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormone, which is indispensable for normal development, growth and metabolism. Iodine deficiency (ID) results in decreased thyroid hormone synthesis, leading to metabolic changes in adults and mental retardation in infants and children. In fact, ID is the most prevalent preventable cause of mental impairment. Although recent attempts have been made to eradicate ID, the problem still persists, especially in developing countries. In this study, the urinary iodine concentration of a population in Santa Cruz, Bolivia was evaluated because certain parts of Bolivia are thought to be mildly iodine deficient, but current data are not available. It was hypothesized that an urban population would have higher iodine nutrition than a rural population, where iodine deficiency was believed to exist. In the summer of 2006, urine and blood samples were collected from approximately 183 rural and 110 urban patients. Iodine concentrations in the samples were determined using the Sandell-Kolthoff method, which measures iodine on the basis of it catalyzing the reaction of ceric ammonium sulfate to its cerous form in the presence of arsenious acid. In the rural population, 11.5 % of samples had iodine deficient values (0-100 µg/L), 81.9 % had iodine sufficient values (100-600 µg/L), and 6.56 % had high levels of iodine, exceeding 600 µg/L. Similar results were found in urban samples: 16.4 % had iodine deficient values, 77.3 % had iodine sufficient values, and 6.36 % had levels of iodine exceeding 600 µg/L. In conclusion, iodine deficiency may still persist in both rural and urban populations in Santa Cruz, however the median urinary iodine concentration in our study was 261 µg/L, a value in the normal range of iodine nutrition. For the future, a national study on the actual overall status of iodine nutrition in Bolivia would be beneficial. In addition, further research is needed to determine potential cause(s) for the persistence of ID, including those that deal with factors related to geography, public health, socioeconomic status and iodization of salt/access to iodized salt.
L. Sinitean was supported by Lake Forest College
[Abstract (DOC)]